Limited knowledge and awareness about what constitutes confidential information is putting UK businesses at risk of falling victim to fraud if these materials are not securely destroyed, Shred-it, the UK’s leading data destruction company has warned.

New research from Shred-it reveals that a third of SMEs (32%) say they have never disposed of redundant electronic devices containing confidential information, while a further 35% do it less than once a year. Additionally, despite recent high-profile cyber security breaches at major firms based in the UK, more than half (51%) do not have a cyber-security policy implemented in the workplace.

UK businesses may be at risk of data security breaches from an increasingly mobile workforce during the May school half term and summer holidays unless employees are made aware of company information security policies, the UK’s leading data destruction company warns.